The interactions between a mother and her child during pregnancy and after birth are still being fully understood by science.
It is true that there is such a thing as a “mother” brain. According to the statement, the mother’s brain changes as a result of neuronal and hormonal changes during pregnancy and after delivery “to strengthen the mother’s ability to care for her infant.” Certain areas of the mother’s brain enlarge more than others as a result of hormonal and other chemical changes. Nesting and protecting the young, two control behaviors, are two areas affected. Many of the changes support the growth of “maternal behavior,” which is characterized by “caring and loving actions generally associated with caring for and rearing the young.”
